Journey Home
by Mystic Mizu
Summary: AU. Van Fanel's task was simple. Get the Princess Hitomi home before her twin brother, the King sets out to war for her. But when their past became clearer and old enemies arises, the mission gets more complex.
1. Prologue

**Journey Home**

Prologue:

As Long as the Heir Lives

The sudden attack of the Zaibach Empire surprised the kingdom of Fanelia. Varie Fanel, queen of Fanelia knew they were defeated. Her husband, the King Goau Fanel, valiantly fought to keep his people safe. Unfortunately, it caused him his life. It seems as though the second prince of Fanelia knew what was happening though he was newly born. He cries as the tears of her mother falls down on her cheeks. She tried to soothe him by rocking him back and forth. The baby stopped crying.

"We'll be together soon, my love" she whispered in the ear of her husband. She laid one final kiss on his lips, making peace with his untimely death.

There is only one heir. With Folken, her eldest, missing and feared to be dead as he recklessly charged to battle, there is no one to inherit the throne. Their only hope is her bundle of joy, sleeping in her arms.

"Ruhm" she called. From the shadows of the corner of the room, a wolf man emerged. He came forth and knelt before the queen.

"Your Grace" he said. There was a loud explosion. From that they both knew that the enemies are inside the castle walls.

She motioned him to stand. She handed him the prince, their only hope.

"Take him as far away as you can, and keep him safe. They do not know that I've given birth to a new heir. He'll be safe, no one will come after him. But—"she turned and faced her king, unlatched the sword from his belt and faced the wolf man again. "—he must know who he is, and what he must do." She handed him the sword of Fanelia.

"Come with us, my Queen" he insisted.

"No, I must be with the people."

"There is no one left. The women and children have fled. The men are dead. There is nothing left. Fanelia is gone."

"No" she said with a stern look on her face. "As long as the heir lives, as long as their king lives, Fanelia is still alive." She stroked the face of her beautiful baby, smiling sadly. She leaned and kissed him on the forehead.

"Good bye, my sweet prince." She looked at the wolf man with eyes engraved of deep warning. "You keep him safe. I will distract them. Make haste and go as far as you can. Don't look back."

And with that he left.

There was another explosion and heavy knocking on the barricaded door. She sat on the floor beside the bed where her husband lies. She held his hand, as she watched the enemy break down her last protection.

"As long as he lives, there is still hope for Fanelia." She watched as her death charged towards her.

* * *

**AN: **Short eh? Not to worry. Chapter one will be up sooner than you think. Reviews are welcomed and will be much appreciated. Thank you!

**Mystic Mizu  
**01-22-13


	2. 25 Years Later

**Chapter 2:  
25 Years Later**

'_Same thing, every day'_ she sighed to herself. The former priestess of the temple of Moria was on her third week of traveling back to her country. It was eight weeks of travel in a carriage going to Asturia and another eight weeks back. Every ten minutes her buttocks fall asleep and she had to lie on her side just so it could breathe.

It was the first time in weeks that she felt she could breathe again. As soon as the kingdom was out of sight, she asked her men to stop the carriage so she could change from the biggest dress she had ever seen. It was a gift from the king. He said she looked like a true Asturian princess in it. She thought she looked like a walking pile of cloth.

She changed into a pair of khaki pants and the ends are tucked in her mid length dark brown leather boots. She tucked in her white polo and used a red silk as a belt. She braided her mid-waist length, golden brown hair and let it fall on her chest.

The woman, twenty three years of age with brilliant green eyes, stared at the forest outside which seemed to be endless. She tried to remember how her dear twin brother, Allard, the king of Moria convinced her to go on this god forsaken trip while he stays in the comfort of their kingdom.

"_It would be nice to meet your future husband, Hitomi." He said looking at her with his bright green eyes._

It is not hard to miss that they are twins because they're very identical, only of course with the exception of her brother's masculine features.

Truly it was a much better scene than the walls of the temple. It wasn't easy to leave the temple. Being a high priestess she became a constant medium to the gods and felt a certain connection to Gaea. Although her brother pointed out that being in the temple did not tweak her rough edges a bit.

"_He is of good reputation. He is the best knight in Asturia, a knight of Caeli. Father used to tell us stories of the great knights. His name is Allen Schezar." _

"_How impressive." She said in a flat tone as she rolled her eyes. _

True. The knight was good looking though his hair is longer than hers. In her month of stay in Asturia he had been a perfect gentleman. But she is no fool. She can see through his beautiful blue eyes that they belong to Princess Millerna, the third princess.

"_If you want to tie up loose ends between Moria and Asturia why don't you marry Princess Millerna yourself?" _

"_Because the princess is already engaged to Dryden Fassa." _

Oh what a tragedy indeed—the forbidden love between a knight and a princess. Wouldn't it be a joy if they could escape this tragedy, riding out in the moonlight on a back of a great white horse? At least he had the decency to accompany her during her stay. Of course, stealing glances to the princess was not exactly conspicuous and the princess's convenient timing to pop out of nowhere when they are alone is no coincidence.

She stirred in her seat once more. She was starting to regret declining the offer of King Aston to be escorted back to Moria in the Crusader, the flying ship of Asturia, captained by Ser Allen. But she can't bear more weeks of trying to smile and being polite with the knight.

She didn't exactly resemble her brother's courtesies. He has always been the gentle one, and she was dubbed as the wild. As twins, they were dubbed the opposites—the balance, the gentle and the tough, the soft and the hard. They thought she was the gentle one, she was supposed to be the lady. Her father soon realized that she was the rough one.

Her brother and she are identical, only she had long hair and of course, her physique is more feminine. Her brother has the same color of hair which falls 'till his shoulders. He wears it in a ponytail which for some odd reasons, women in her country find extremely attractive. She always thought they're just gawking over him because he's the future king of Moria.

They learned to fight together. She was not allowed to learn the swordsmanship, so they will sneak out of bed every night and he will teach her what he learned from the master. But everything changed when their father died. At a young age of fifteen, they were asked to set aside their childhood and learn to lead the people. Everything has to be carried by her dear brother. The lessons stopped. In the morning he'll train, in the afternoon he'll study and read the reports. The only time they get to see each other is when they eat breakfast.

"_We can't be kids anymore, sister. We have to take of these people, _our_ people."_

She didn't like it. It wasn't fair. She lost her father, never knew their mother, now it feels as if she lost his brother too.

When she was looking for a place to hide from the governess, she stumbled upon a hidden tunnel inside the castle, it led her to the temple of the Wing Goddess. It is said that the She can bring peace to Gaea once she descend upon the land. She started to pray to her, wishing that she'll finally bring peace so her brother can stay with her.

As if the goddess spoke to her she saw something in her dreams. The white dragon, arising from the ashes and flames, his great white wings spread beautifully. She can still remember that vision. Of course, the grand priest told her it was nothing but a dream. But soon she saw more visions that she could not help but feel uneasy about.

She told her brother about her dream of treachery, lies and deceit. A trickster with skin of snake and alluring smile, stood behind his brother, one hand clutched around his neck. His brother got angry at her, claiming that she's using such hideous excuse just to get every body's attention.

Getting mad at his accusations, she stayed in the temple for weeks. She doesn't visit the castle nor try to talk to her brother. Then one day her brother came and apologized. They found out that one of the advisors who whisper in his brother's ears is a spy from Asturia. He was walking right into his death and fall of the kingdom.

When they met with the wise high priest, he said that she has been touched by the wing goddess and now has the ability to see the future.

"_A seer?" her brother said, looking at her as if she was an odd creature that sprouted out of the dirt. _

His brother was no believer. Somehow, he grew spite for the gods. She would never understand that part of him. Still, she prays on his behalf. She gives thanks to the gods that they haven't struck him down. Allard asked her to return to the castle that day.

All three of them agreed that it would be better for her that no one will know her abilities. Her brother paid more attention to her than before. Everything was going well until he said that she was to be betrothed.

For her brother to convince her to come out of the temple was a bold move. "_The gods will understand" he said. "It is for the good of the people."_

The feud between Moria and Asturia started way back before she was born. Twenty-five years ago, when an ally country Fanelia was burn down to the ground, her father came to the kingdom for their aid.

"I saw the Zaibach fortress, floating above the capital and it disappeared in thin air" he would always say. Zaibach denied the accusation and claimed that they were at Asturia the day Fanelia was attacked. Asturia of course, defended the empire and said that their King father was hallucinating from the heat and stress. Finding no trace of the attacker or witnesses to back him up, their father yielded but still convinced that Zaibach was behind the attack.

She can actually see now why her father does not trust King Aston. There was something about his smile, the way his hands felt against her skin that made her so uncomfortable. He was, somehow, felt, _inhuman. _She never let herself be alone with the king.

She was brought back to reality when her carriage suddenly stopped.

"Princess, please stay inside" said one of her knights through the window. Without another word, he closed the window to keep her out of sight of the forest thieves surrounding her carriage.

She anticipated this might happen. She felt a pang of guilt in her stomach that she led her men into this kind of situation. Now she fully regrets not taking the king's offer.

She stepped out of her carriage and heard one of the thieves to whistle in one note. Her escorts stood in front of her for protection.

One of the knights spoke in a low voice "Princess, forgive me, but I insist—" She laid a hand on her knight's shoulder and addressed the thieves.

"What do you want?"

"Thieves want only one thing, milady. You have my word that no harm would befall upon you and your men if you give us your horses and loots" says the man who seems to be the leader of the pact. He was tall with dark brown hair and beard. Though he speaks graciously, there is something about the way he eyes her that threatens.

"Leave a man without horse or money in the middle of forest, they're as good as dead. Take the money, and leave the horses to us. Then we can part ways." She said.

The men around her chuckled, except for one young man with raven hair with dark scarlet eyes. His eyes met hers. Such cold stare he has, she thought.

"Milady, our tribe needs horses." Said the leader of the pact.

"And so does my men. Have the gold and let us pass." She said with an impassive voice.

"You are not in your land to give commands." She was not the only one to detect the threat in his voice. As soon as the man took a step forward, her men stepped in front of her and drew their swords.

It all happened so fast. An arrow was shot and one of her knights fell down dead. Steel met steel, and blood mixed with the dirt. All she could do is step back, draw the concealed dagger and wait for someone to charge towards her. She stopped as a cold steel touched her neck, and her back hit a strong chest.

"I'd drop that if I were you. It won't do you any good" said the man behind her.

With all her might, she stomped her foot on his and hit his stomach with her right elbow. She swung her dagger as she turned to face him. Though she can see that her attack took him surprise, with great ease, he grabbed her wrist and pointed her dagger in her hands to her. He took her arm and pushed her against the nearest tree. It was then she realized that it was the man with the raven hair.

"Best for you not to fight. You'll have a better chance of living, _your highness_." She knew she was defeated.

She can only watch as one by one her men fell. She looked away, praying to the gods for a quick painless death. When she did, she caught the sight of one of her men, the youngest knight. He was about to attack when he saw her.

Looking at him, she shook her head. The knight looked at her, confused at what she was trying to say. Subtly, she looked at the man who was holding her. He was looking at the ongoing battle. She again looked at the young knight, and shook her head.

With a nod, the knight bowed, turned and left.

She did not know whether he will go to Asturia or to Moria for help. All she could hope for is that he'll be able to come after her before they take her life.

With one final scream of pain, the battle was over. It was not surprising that they lost. They were outnumbered.

In a low voice, she prayed to the gods for the souls of her brave men. She can feel the hold of her captor slowly loosen. When she was done praying, she opened her eyes and saw him looking at her. He let go of her wrist and gently, took the dagger from her hand.

"Van!" called the man who she assumed to be the leader of the group. "Bring her here."

The man he called Van led her to him.

"Now, what do we do with the lady?" he said eyeing her from head to toe. She didn't like the way he looked at him. It was lustful and deadly.

"She's a highborn for sure" said one of them. "We could ask for ransom from her family."

"Or we could enjoy her highborn arse ourselves"

The thieves laughed. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand. This is it, she thought. This is how she will die—slow, spoiled and unclean death. Many things ran through her mind. If she will be raped by these lowlifes, she'll make sure that she won't give up without fight. One way or another, she will inflict pain.

"No one will touch her." Van spoke. She looked at him, surprised. "Rhum will decide."

She thought she might've been wrong. Is this young man in red tunic could be the leader?

He drew his sword eyeing the big man in front of them. Clearly there's a power struggle in this little group of theirs. They stared down at each other, waiting who will strike first.

"Hmph! Let's see what the wolf will think when his little pet brings home a pest." With that, he took one last stare at Hitomi before he left.

* * *

Thank you for the reviews and alerts. they are well appreciated " ^_^


	3. A Wish from the Draconian Queen

**Chapter 3: **

**A Wish from the Draconian Queen**

She could only watch as the thieves rummage through her carriage and trunks, even the dead were not spared. They took off the boots, armors and weapons of her men. She felt the great desire to gut each and every one of them.

The armor was a gift when they were knighted. It was the highest honor the king could give, and now it will be worn by these filthy thieves. What's worse is that their body will rot out here in a foreign land, and they will never be given the proper burial. Such brave knights deserve to be buried in their homeland.

Everyone was grateful except for Van. After tying her hands and feet with rope, he mounted her on the back of a horse and waited for his companions to finish. As soon as their done, they set out home. Surprisingly, Van took the reins and led her horse on foot.

It might have been an hour or two when they finally reached the whereabouts of the tribe. Her mouth was dry and her lips felt chapped. She was hungry, thirsty, and over all tired. Mostly, she was afraid of what kind of man this Rhum is.

It was a small village in the middle of the forest. There might've been twenty to thirty huts built, but what amused her the most is that the tribe is not homogeny. There are light and dark skinned men and women. There are wolf men and cats and even bird men.

"Don't stare at him." Van said to her when she was looking at the bird man with long white neck. "He hates it when people stare."

Quickly she looked down and focused on the ground.

When they stopped at what she assumed the stables, Van cut the rope bounding her feet. He held her waist and lifted her off the horse with ease.

He led her to the biggest hut in the village. It was spacious inside and everything was made from woods. Though the windows are wide and open, it didn't help with the warm temperature of the room. What made things worse is the smell burning candles did not really appeal to her. Woven green and red drapes were hung on the wall and a camp fire was built in the middle of the room. At the end of the room, a wolf man sat on a pillow.

"Dilandau told me about your acclaimed treasure" he said as they sat down cross-legged on the other side of the camp fire. "She is a treasure, indeed."

Dilandau and his company entered the room and sat behind them.

'_Great' _she thought _'more people to breathe in the little air in this room'._

"Van, I heard you fought your brother to protect this young lady." Even without looking astern, she can tell that Dilandau is sneering.

"We wait for your decision, that's how it's always been in this tribe, is it not?" Van replied.

"It is, and I'm very glad that you protected her." He looked at the group of men behind them. "Do you know who this young lady is?"

Nobody answered.

"Princess, my deepest apologies for my men's action. I do hope they did not harm you in any way."

Though she was completely astonished that he knows her, she kept her composure and replied. "The young man here protected me."

"We'll do everything in our power to get you home safely" she sighed in relief, or maybe for her life. The last thing she wants to happen is to pass out in front of these men. It might be just her, but the temperature of the room is getting warmer and warmer.

"Get her home safely?" said Dilandau from behind. She slightly looked back to see the man's face only to notice spots in her vision.

'_Great.' _She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Beads of sweat sliding down on her face and her torso did not help. _'Speed this up, please.' _

"What's done is done. This has probably reached the king. Let's take advantage of the situation and ask for ransom." Dilandau reasoned.

"We are not criminals!" Rhum growled. "Touch the princess and I'll put your head on a spike."

She was surprised when a woman came in striding from behind her, completely ignoring the group of men in the middle of a heated argument. Her long raven hair looks as if it's blown by wind she could not feel. She saw the man called Van eye her as she watched the woman walk pass Rhum.

To her great surprise, a pair of brilliant white wings sprouted from her back. She looked at her. Her eyes looked familiar, as if she had seen those deep scarlet eyes before.

"As long as the heir lives, as long as their king lives" she said, one hand reaching out to her. "Fanelia is still alive."

Suddenly, the woman burst into flames. The room was filled with her agonized scream. With the remaining life in her, she walked towards Hitomi and knelt before her. She grabbed her arm and saw the flame crawl up to her own clothing.

"Make him see. Lead him to his destiny." She whispered.

"Who are you talking about?" she asked meekly. And with that she closed her eyes and passed out.

* * *

He ran as fast as he can. Grabbing a horse from one of their captors, he escaped leaving the princess behind. The best thing he could do is send a message to King Allard about the abduction and pray to the gods that she is still alive.

As soon as he saw the castle of Asturia he halted.

"The princess never trusted the king." He reminded himself. He dismounted his horse and went on foot.

As soon as he reached the walls, he made his way to where they kept their messenger hawks. After writing a short note addressed to King Allard himself, he attached the letter to the hawk's talon and set it on its way.

"Lead him to his destiny" said a voice of a woman that echoed through nothingness. She looked around, searching where the voice is coming from. And then appeared, right in front of her, a woman with raven hair and dark scarlet eyes, holding a crying child in her arms.

"You're the one from before." She said, but it appears she couldn't hear her. "Who are you?"

"He must know who he is, and what he must do." She said looking down at what she assumed her child.

Then she saw Rhum approach her. "Come with us, my queen." He said.

"No, I must be with the people."

"There is no one left. The women and children have fled. The men are dead. There is nothing left. Fanelia is gone."

"Fanelia? This is the queen of Fanelia. Then this must be—" she looked around and saw the banner of Fanelia hanging on the walls. She walked around them and saw a man lying, eyes closed and lifeless.

"King Goau. My father's friend."

"No" she heard the queen say. "As long as the heir lives, as long as their king lives, Fanelia is still alive." She walked pass them and saw a baby boy with raven hair, crying as his mother handed him to the Rhum.

"Good bye, my sweet prince. You keep him safe. I will distract them. Make haste and go as far as you can. Don't look back."

Rhum left. From behind she heard the door knocked down. Soldiers came in and carrying spears and swords. The queen of Fanelia stood in front of her husband's corpse and released her wings.

"A Draconian! Kill the beast!" cried one of the soldiers. He held out his spear and aimed it at the queen.

"No!" Hitomi yelled. She tried to push her out of the way but she merely passed through her. When she looked astern, the spear is struck through her chest. Blood was dripping down from her wound down to the head of the spear. She fell down, her dress drenched in her own blood.

The soldiers, like wild animals, set the room on fire. She can feel the heat. Flames started to crawl up to her, engulfing her to her death.

* * *

"Wake up!" she opened her eyes, breathing hard, her clothes drenched with sweat and water. Van was holding her shoulders tightly, his face just a few inches away from hers.

They were no longer inside the hut. She was lying down a mat under the shade of a big oak tree.

_His eyes are just like hers. Could it be? _

When he noticed how intense she looked into his eyes, he gently laid her back down and looked away.

"You were crying in your sleep." He said as he sat down beside her. "It's been a rough day for you. You probably had nightmares because you saw your men get killed."

"What happened?" she asked as she helped herself sit up.

"You passed out." He simply replied. He handed her a leather water bag. Without hesitation she drank from it.

She remembered now. Dilandau and Rhum were having an argument on what they were going to do with her. Then she saw the Draconian lady, the queen of Fanelia.

'_Was that a vision?' _she wondered.

"You were talking in your sleep." He said. He was looking astern at her. "You mentioned Fanelia. Are you familiar with the kingdom?"

"Just by books, and what my father told me."

"Your father is associated with Fanelia?"

"Was. He died five years ago. He was good friends with King Goau." Van looked away.

His silence says it all, but still, she wanted to be a hundred percent sure. Is she looking at the prince of Fanelia? Is this Folken Lacour de Fanel?

_He looks too young to be the missing prince. _She thought.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked without looking at her.

"Yes. Thank you." He stood up and reached out his hand to her.

"We better go back to Rhum for his instructions."

She took his hands and asked "for what?"

"I'm taking you home."

* * *

**AN: **My greatest thanks to those who read, reviewed and subscribed! R&R please :)


	4. Wolf's Pet

Chapter Four:

**The Wolf's Pet**

"…and that's when the forest thieves attacked us. The princess asked me to look for aid. I am asking for your assistance to rescue the princess."

"Exactly where did you leave the princess in the hands of the thieves?" asked the king.

His mouth twitched. "Three days travel from here, Your Grace."

_She is right. _He thought as he looked at the king Asturia, staring passively at him as he finished explaining what happened to Princess Hitomi. _'The king is queer.'_

"I'd gladly lead the mission, Your Highness." Said Allen who kneeling next to him.

"That you will." Said the king. "We will do everything in our power to retrieve the princess."

"If I may, Your Majesty." He spoke. "I would like to return to Moria and report to King Allard myself."

There was a part of him that regrets telling the king his plan. He eyed him for a few seconds, scrutinizing. He can hear his heart beating fast. He will let him go, won't he?

"You, young knight, will be punished here in Asturia for treason."

'_What?'_

"You left the princess in the hands of those thieves. A knight fulfills his mission even if it means his life. Take him away."

In a blink of an eye, two soldiers seized him and took him to the dungeons.

Ser Allen could only watch in silence as they took the Morian knight away.

"Allen! Retrieve the princess and bring her back here in Asturia."

"Your Majesty, I don't think it's necessary to imprison the knight. Moria will only suspect treachery."

"Moria will not know that the princess is missing. Either way, if they find what happened, her brother will still suspect that we are behind the abduction."

It didn't make sense, he thought. But for now, as a knight of Asturia, he must rescue the princess and avoid dispute against a country known for its wealth and military prowess.

* * *

Poles of torches lit the knight in this hidden village. Almost everyone is gathered in the center of the village as the tribe ate their dinner together. She thought it was charming.

Rhum brought her dinner himself and accompanied her. She spotted Van eating dinner by himself. Not far from him, Dilandau kept looking at her while he talked to his men. Clearly, he was talking about her.

"I apologize for his behavior. Dilandau is—a hard kid to comprehend." Said Rhum.

"No need to apologize." She said as she took a spoonful of her dinner. "Your tribe is diverse."

"Yes." He replied as he scanned the people gathered around the fire. "I found most of them when they were children. Lost, abandoned, some of them are thieves and criminals. But I welcomed them and taught them how to be one in a tribe. I found Dilandau just a few moons back, wandering without a clue who he was except his name. I guess that's the reason why he's angry all the time."

She knew it was her chance to verify her vision. "And Van?" she asked.

Rhum was quiet for a while. She tried to look for any sign that he's trying to cover for something. He saw him take a deep breath and spoke. "Van is a complex person, with a past that did not start well. I had him since he was a baby."

"Where did you find him?"

Rhum looked at her. She kept her face passive as he tried to study her feature. He smiled.

"Why are you so curious about him?"

Her eyes widened when she realized that Rhum was taking the conversation in the wrong way. "I—is it wrong to try to get to know my escort?"

Rhum simply laughed.

"I am an engaged woman, Sir." She defended.

"Oh yes, to your brother."

"What—no!"

Rhum looked at her, curious. "I thought Morian royalties marry their own kin to keep the bloodline pure."

She would've gagged and vomited if she could. It was true. Kanzakis, the ruler of Moria is believed to be direct descendants of the Wing Goddess. They say that this lineage inherited Her power, hence they keep the bloodline pure by marrying each other. Thank the gods, she and her brother agreed to go against the norms. He got engaged to the princess of Basram while she became a priestess.

"That was before my brother took the throne." She said simply.

"Curious family you have, my lady. So what power did the goddess blessed you with?"

She kept her face passive._ 'He cannot know.' _

"Ridiculous notion about us. If we have powers, we already took over Gaea, don't you think?" she said.

Rhum laughed. "Well, I guess it's a good thing your parents are peace lovers."

Hitomi looked at him.

'_He knows? No. It can't be.' _

"Don't fret, princess, we have no use for your power"

She sighed in defeat. "How does a leader of a queer hidden village know about family's secret?" she said in a low voice.

"Ha! Queer hidden village. We used to be a pack of wolves men 'till the attack of Fanelia." He chuckled. "Our tribe is loyal to Fanelia. During the great war, when Moria and Fanelia for the first time joined forces to defeat Zaibach Empire they unleashed all powers they had—even the ones that are supposed to be nonexistent. But I'm guessing you already know this since its part of your history."

Hitomi kept her mouth shut, unable to speak or comprehend the fact that people beside her family knows about the truth.

"I knew your grandmother. Kind, gentle, and very interesting. Thanks to her visions, we saw what was coming."

Hitomi looked away. "She can as she wishes." She murmured. She could be as strong as her grandmother, she thought. To see the future by will. She wondered if this upset her brother.

"So, tell me princess, what did you see that made you so curious about our dear Van Fanel?"

She hesitated a little, but she knew there was no point in hiding her secret. Her gaze focused on Van "The day his mother gave him to you."

Ruhm did not speak.

"Does he know who he really is?"

"More than I think. The sword is his father's, and every single day, he is reminded that he is a king without a land to rule and people to lead. I hear he always visit ruins of Fanelia whenever he got the chance."

"You see, some of these people are men of Fanelia. But fifteen citizens don't really make a country. And if so, it won't last. They're better off here and leave Fanelia as part of history."

"You're wrong." She said eyes still focused on the king. "As long as the heir lives, Fanelia is alive."

* * *

He looked up at the great statue of the Wing Goddess—staring down at him, making him feel like a small, helpless boy.

"If it wasn't for her—" he said in a low voice, a hint of spite is heard in his voice "I wouldn't be praying to you."

Clutched in his hand is a small piece of paper containing grave news.

"The carriage of Princess Hitomi has been attacked in the outskirts of the capital of Asturia. Send help."

His sister has been kidnapped. It didn't say more. Who did it? What do they want? Is she still alive? It drew a lot of questions, a lot of emotions. It drew fear.

"Do they know what she's capable of?" he said looking down at the paper. It was written with great haste, delivered by a messenger hawk of Asturia, but it wasn't written by the king or any Asturian. It was written by one of her knights.

He looked up again at the face of the statue. "You gave this curse to her. Her life is in danger because you chose her."

"Blaming the goddess will not help her." Said a husky voice from behind.

"Balgus." He acknowledged his presence. The knight took a bow and stood beside him.

"If it wasn't for that gift, we didn't have to keep her from the world. She was always free spirited. She hated it here."

"That's not true. The princess stayed here because she wanted to support her brother." He tapped the king's shoulder "we will set out as soon as you order."

* * *

"You should be inside by now." She jumped when his voice came out of nowhere.

'_I didn't even hear his footsteps.' _

"I was just on my way back." She explained. It was hard for her to look at him without being curious of who he really was. She wanted to know. But basing on his cold attitude towards, well everything, it may be a challenge for her to break the ice.

He didn't respond on what she said. He simply turned and walked away.

"Could we see Fanelia on the way to Moria?" she asked.

He stopped and looked back at her. It was hard to read what he was thinking. And suddenly with great speed, he had his one hand on her arm, and the other pulling her braided hair. She gasped when she felt her back hit the bark of a tree.

"Ruhm told you." He said in a low voice, grip tight on her arm. It wasn't a question, she knew. Her hand was on his tunic, clutching on the cloth as she hopelessly tried to push him away.

She opened her eyes and glared at him. "He told me what I already knew."

For the first time, she saw an emotion on his face. His grip loosened as curiosity slowly printed in his eyes.

But just when she thought he was about to let her go, she felt him pull her hair. But what he did next made her heart stop. He pulled out a knife and wound it through her hair.


End file.
